Four pieces of art by Antonello da Messina, a painter from the 15th century, were stolen from the Museo Regionale di Messina in Italy, as confirmed by the country’s culture minister on Sunday. Alessandro Giuli expressed shock and sadness upon learning about the theft. This incident has left Messina without some of the only surviving works by the Renaissance artist in his hometown and a small painting acquired by the Sicilian Region twenty years ago. The theft occurred on Saturday night during a national holiday in Italy, according to media reports.
Marisa Mercurio, the museum director, described the theft, which happened just before 10 p.m., as devastating. The stolen artworks included two significant pieces by Antonello da Messina, representing a significant loss for the museum, the city, the community, and the art world.
Enzo Caruso, a local councillor responsible for culture, likened the incident to a scene from a movie. He suggested that the recent purchase of a Messina artwork by the Italian state for $15 million earlier in the year may have drawn the attention of the thieves to the museum. The stolen items included three out of five panels from an altarpiece called “Polittico di San Gregorio.” Originally consisting of six panels and intended for a local monastery destroyed in the 1908 earthquake, this altarpiece was the only work by the Sicilian painter that had never left his hometown. Additionally, a fourth artwork, a small two-sided painting portraying the Virgin with Child and a Franciscan monk on one side and Christ on the other, was also taken from a secure display case.
Earlier this year, the Italian Culture Ministry acquired another two-sided painting, known as “Ecce Homo,” from Sotheby’s before it was due to be auctioned. Lynda Albertson, an art-crime analyst, noted that these artworks are easily recognizable, making it difficult to sell them through legitimate channels. She warned that stealing an Antonello may be simpler than attempting to sell one, as these works often circulate among criminals and serve as collateral for illicit activities.
Antonello da Messina, born around 1430, received his training in Naples, where he studied the works of Provençal and Flemish artists, influencing his own creations. He returned to Messina in 1457 and continued to work there until 1474. The theft occurred shortly after Italian police recovered paintings by French masters Paul Cézanne, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, and Henri Matisse that had been stolen from a museum near the northern city of Parma in March.